JEDDAH, 29 April 2004 — Al-Islam Group, a Jeddah-based cultural organization, will launch what it calls “the biggest free e-library” on the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at a function here today.
Muhammad Mateen Osmani, director of the group, said his organization has set up a new website named “Prophet Muhammad For All” which offers 50 books on the Prophet’s biography in English and a number of Indian languages.
“We are planning to launch a series of CDs under the title Al-Islam Encyclopedia. The first of which is on the Prophet’s biography,” Osmani told Arab News. This one is now available in English and Urdu.
It contains the book “Muhammad, the Benefactor of Humanity” authored by the late Indian scholar Naeem Siddiqui. It also carries the book’s original Urdu version, “Mohsin-e-Insaniyat.”
“The CD has a lot of other features. You can hear the melodious Qur’an recitation by Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, one of the imams of Grand Mosque in Makkah. You can also read another book titled ‘Way to the Qur’an’ by Khurram Murad,” he said.
The CD also contains 150 Hadiths and six Urdu lectures on the Prophet (in audio format) delivered by prominent scholars, and nearly 300 clipart images based on Islamic calligraphy.
Referring to the group’s future plan, Osmani said they wanted to launch another CD on the Holy Qur’an in Ramadan. “By doing so, we wanted to celebrate the month of Qur’an in a different way,” he said.
He described the new CD on the Prophet as unique and interactive. The book, “Muhammad, the Benefactor of Humanity,” has eight chapters, and the CD has animations based on each chapter.
“We established the new website on the Prophet to propagate his message and teachings and we expect at least 500,000 visitors in a year,” the director said.
The group’s Al-Islam for All website was launched about 16 months ago, and is considered one of the five top Islamic sites. It offers more than 100 Islamic books including 60 in English. “Our site has won worldwide recognition. People from 50 countries visit our site. So far 1.5 million people have visited the website,” Osmani said.
For further details about today’s launching ceremony, Osmani can be contacted on 0508604182.
